Local educators and lawmakers had mixed reactions to Gov. Tom Corbett's budget address, given Tuesday morning.

The governor's speech, which ushered in the beginning of the budget process, revealed he plans to pump about $400 million into education; about $600 million into workforce development and job training; about $23.5 million for home based care and other programs for seniors."Unlike the federal government, we must spend within our means, and today's budget address re-emphasized that," said state Sen. David G. Argall, R-Schuylkill/Berks."The taxpayers I represent have asked their state government to do more with less, which is what we have done during these difficult economic times. Most importantly, his budget plan does not come with any tax hikes for the hardworking taxpayers I represent," Argall added.State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Luzerne/Carbon, was not happy with Corbett's proposals."While our state ranks 48th in job creation and our region has had the highest unemployment in the Commonwealth for nearly four years now, this budget again ignores initiatives that would create jobs and put struggling local families back to work," he said in a prepared statement.Yudichak sharply criticized cuts Corbett has made to education during his term and warned of future troubles, suggesting the funding proposals were a bid for election to a second term in office."This proposed budget continues to mask bigger problems created by the debilitating cuts in the last three budgets, and puts millions of dollars in budgetary obligations to future, non-gubernatorial-election-year budgets," he said. Yudichak also took Corbett to task for failing to tax the Marcellus shale industry.Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton/Lehigh/Monroe, liked what Corbett has in mind for education and jobs."While budgets typically have things you like and do not like, I am cautiously optimistic that this spending plan uses scarce revenues as well. I especially applaud the governor's investment in education and workforce development," she said in a prepared statement."I was also pleased to see in the governor's budget plan a 10 percent increase for rape crisis and domestic violence programs, as well as additional funding for the newly-created Veterans' Trust Fund," Boscola said.State Rep. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe, said he was "really appreciative of the monies put into pre-K to 12 education $312 millon. Also, the budget takes education funding to $10.3 billion, the most ever for kindergarten through 12th grade education."Scavello also praised Corbett's plan to increase Special Education funding and spending for programs for the intellectually disabled. "These are the folks who need the help, need the services," he said.Scavello was also pleased that Corbett's earmarked money for four new classes to train 350 new state police cadets. "It will help us bring our state police complement to where it should be," he said.But Scavello adds a caveat.The spend numbers are a little on the high side," he said. "We'll look at that closely."Educators had lukewarm reactions.Tamaqua Area School District Superintendent Carol Makuta likes the $20 million increase in Special Education funding. "This is the first increase in six years," she said.She also likes the money set aside for hybrid learning, and the $4.6 million to support state testing.However, Makuta said she is "disappointed that the Basic Education Subsidy is level-funded."Panther Valley School District Business Manager Kenneth Marx described the Special Education funding "very slight" in terms of what his district would see.The increase in the Accountability Block Grant "will be beneficial to the district, even though there will be constraints on how the money can be spent," he said.Corbett's budget proposal also may reduce pension costs for school districts, Marx said. However, Corbett's proposal to keep funding for community colleges level drew a disappointed response.The funding has been flat for about three years.Dr. Nick Neupauer, chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, said in a prepared statement late Tuesday that the level funding would make it hard for the schools to limit tuition increases and to expand programs. Health care providers also weighed in."The Governor's opening proposal is a good start. It includes critical tobacco settlement funds that were cut in the current year as a result of an independent arbitration decision; these funds will help to offset the more than $1 billion a year in hospital uncompensated care costs. It also includes the tobacco settlement funds targeted towards key health research initiatives," said Roger Baumgarten, spokesman for the Hospital & Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania.The Pennsylvania Medical Society also lauded the budget proposal, which includes $34.4 billion in health and human services funding. The money would, among other things, support community health centers and allow more children to enroll in the state's health care program.